MovieChat Forums > Package Deal Discussion > One sentance = Laugh Track

One sentance = Laugh Track

posted 11 years ago by Hannes-15
8 replies | jump to latest

Vow, this was bad... the after every sentence that horrible laugh track came on.

Lucky if it sees 3 episodes... I gave up half way through.

[–] little_isys 11 years ago

I don't disagree about the laugh track. All 13 episodes have long ago been filmed and with the way Canadian tv and tax credits work things have to be broadcast. They may appear at 1am on Saturday but they will at some point be broadcast, no matter how horrible they are.

I am hoping that they see these comments and take the 3 month gap to re-mix the show without the un-funny, overbearing, and sometimes inaccurate laugh track. The creator said that the show is for people who are "tired of the cynicism and want to laugh". The only problem with that is the laugh track isn't funny; it is a turn-off like finding out your date's brother is the one who cooked the romantic dinner.

[–] crankyerma1984 11 years ago

Try watching a multi-cam without a laugh track sometime. It is death. Even "Cheers" would seem boring without it. It's a subliminal thing but it works to make one feel on some level as though they are actively participating in the audience of a live performance. The conceit is that you are not a passive observer but an audience member watching actors reading lines. You are not laughing at them but the material. When you watch a single cam like "The Office," the conceit is that you are a passive voyeur being invited to laugh at the banality of other people's lives. If that is humor to you, I question whether you are a very nice person.

That said, the mixing of an audience track, live or otherwise is an art. I agree that it was handled somewhat hamfistedly here.

[–] marcos_ho 11 years ago

I only lasted five minutes, didn't laugh once.

[–] lynyrdskynyrd 10 years ago

I agree this show is weak in the laugh department but criticizing the laugh track doesn't make much sense to me when so many shows use the exact same laugh track.
Don't they?

[–] crankyerma1984 10 years ago

Usually, the laugh track is from the recording of an actual audience watching the episode being shot. But the levels are tweaked by mixers and many times the showrunner to assure that it feels right. Some times when the joke gets a weak response the laugh track is "sweetened" to sound fuller on a joke that deserved a bigger laugh. Other times, when a joke gets a gigantic laugh the levels have to be lowered and cut off so they don't flow over and step on the next joke.

[–] crankyerma1984 10 years ago

Also, I question the veracity of the OP's opinion in general because he/she didn't notice a glaring spelling error in the heading for this thread. I mean, there is a spell-check feature on posts here.

[–] rachelackersley 10 years ago

Good point, they spelled "sentence" wrong so they obviously have no right to complain about their perceived over-reliance on a laugh track. You totally win.

[–] crankyerma1984 10 years ago

Yes, misspelling a basic word in a headline for a thread makes the person seem stupid. You would think that the headline would be important enough to double check. As far as his rights go, of course he has a right to complain. It's everyone's right to voice their opinion. Did I infer that the OP did not have that right? I just don't have to give any weight to said opinion.